Saturday, March 29, 2008

Never Fails

Whenever I take the time to think about it, I am amazed all over again at how versatile knitting is. With the same basic equipment, you can make something that is thick, sturdy and warm:



or something that is delicate and lovely:



The top photo is the start of my first "Mittn" for the "Mittnz 2008 Blitz" at Native American Support. My goal is to make 8 pairs at least, before mid-September. The colors of the mitten are truer in the second photo.

The second photo shows a bit of lace trim I started making last night. I found the pattern on Sarah Bradberry's fabulous site, Knitting-and.com. If you've never visited this site, you are in for a real treat. She's got plenty of things to interest non-knitters, too.

As radically different in form and function as those two items are, they are made pretty much the same way. You need two "sticks" (size 10.5 U.S. and size 00 U.S. knitting needles, respectively), and some "string" (bulky weight yarn and cotton thread size 8, respectively) for each. You use the same basic stitch (the knit stitch) with a variation or two. But the fundamentals are the same. Isn't that amazing?

Today has been wonderfully productive. But there's a catch. In all my web surfing and reading and admiring and dreaming over the last couple of days, I've added two more things to my list of needlework forms I want to try: silk ribbon embroidery and tatting.

Am I nuts? Well, of course I am. But I might just try to learn them, anyway.

7 comments:

Jill L said...

great to try new things -- keeps are minds young! It is truly amazing waht you can do with 2 stick and a piece of string!

Tama said...

I love that knitting and crochet are like that... though it'll be a very long time before I can knit lace! But I love going from crocheting a big warm afghan to working on my tablecloth. Such a difference! Your mitten looks great - I like those colors!

Anonymous said...

Tatting is something I've been wanting to learn also. I bet you'll do very well with it.

LizzieK8 said...

What about spinning?????

Very nice knitting you've got going. A plan for the edging or just trying it out?

Ann said...

Tatting: I have the needles, I have the instructions ::sigh:: for years!

Karin said...

That is why I lOVE knitting, too! The sheer versatility of it. And it can be worn, or decorate something, and it can be gifted, and custom made, and on and on!

That lace trim is beautiful.

I can't wait for your tatting and silk ribbon embroidery!

Sue said...

I love doing silk ribbon embroidery although I haven't done any lately. Too much knitting going on. I can't wait to see how you like it.